Let her be
by GuessIt
Summary: Prequel to my story Mixing Times. About what Chris had to deal with in the unchanged future...Songfic


**Kind of a prequel to my story Mixing Times…or a sequel depending on how you look at it…I'm going with prequel because it's about mainly what Future Chris went through before he came from the…future. You'll get the idea after you read it. Thank you! Warning Death…not major character death though…more like my own character death…**

Chris orbed into an alley. He knew his little sister was around this alley. She sometimes disappeared. Chris thought it was to give him a heart attack but knew it was because she had no idea how to deal with everything that was going on. Seriously she was only seventeen. A seventeen year old was supposed to be worried about their next exam not their next demon and whether their brother was going to kill them or not.

Chris stepped out of the dark alley and into a quiet street. No one was there and it was around ten in the morning. Where the fuck had Melinda gone this time. He turned right and sighed. There was a sitting under a lamppost. Her head was buried in her knees and her arms were wrapped around her legs. Her long brown unruly hair flowed over most of her body. She wore a big black jacket and baggy black pants. Chris knew if she looked up two tear filled brown eyes would stare at him daring him to ask questions.

_She sits alone by a lamppost_

Chris walked up to the girl and leaned against the lamppost. Melinda still hadn't noticed her big brother. "You're a long way from home little lady." Chris tilted his head down to watch Melinda react.

Mel looked up and laughed slightly. "Yeah I guess I am."

"Well Italy is kind of close." he winked. "Even though it's on a different continent from San Francisco." He shook off the cold and knelt next to Mel. "What you doing here?"

Mel shrugged and refused to make direct eye contact with Chris. "Only place I know I can buy alcohol legally." Her big brother then noticed her cradling a large drink between her hands. It was three-quarters empty.

Chris tried to ignore the fact his little under aged (In San Francisco) sister was drinking alcohol. "So what else are you doing here? Because you could've just gone to P3."

Mel puffed and raised the wine to her lips. Chris did nothing as she to a gulp. "Trying to remember some stuff."

"What stuff?" Chris pushed some hair off of her face.

She sighed. "Stuff about Mom and Dad."

_Trying to find a thought that's escaped her mind_

Chris leaned against the lamppost as well and wrapped an arm around Mel. He took the drink from her hand and took a sip of it before he placed it on the ground. "You know you could just call Dad."

Mel shook her head. "I don't want to bother him."

He pulled her closer. "You're his darling little girl. He'd move heaven and earth for you."

"I know. I love him so much but he can't help me with this. Anyway what's the point of calling him down for five minutes? He has to disappear and go up there forever." Mel reached her arm for the bottle but Chris took her hand instead. She rolled her eyes and her brothers attempts to stop her from drinking but she didn't pick up the bottle. "I loved him the most. I hope Mom isn't watching right now but I loved Dad the most."

"She wouldn't care. She knew you were a daddy's girl."

_She says dads the one I love the most_

"Don't get me wrong." Mel hiccuped. "I love Mom just as much as I loved Dad but I guess after she died I just." Mel looked up at her brother. "Guess I loved Dad a little more because he was in my reach."

_But stipes not far behind_

Chris looked at his little sister. "You want to go home?"

Mel looked at the bottle of wine in her brothers hand and then at her brother. "Is my long necked friend coming?" she asked.

"Mel I'm not letting you drink anymore." Chris tipped the rest of the drink onto the street. Mel looked at the dark red liquid envious of the dirt road.

"I paid…" Mel tried to think of how much the bottle had cost her then shook her head. "Money for that!"

Chris rolled his eyes. "Instead of drinking away your miseries why don't you just talk to me?"

Mel thought about it for a second. "Nah. I don't want to depress you with my weird little emotions."

Chris grabbed Melinda's shoulders and forced her to look at him directly in the eyes. "You're my little sister. I love you and you can't depress me." he pulled into a tight hug and orbed them home.

_She never lets me in_

In San Francisco it was around one thirty in the morning.

Chris sat on the edge of Melinda's bed back in his apartment. They had been kicked out of The Manor when it became a sick and twisted Museum set up by their older brother Wyatt.

He tucked Melinda under the covers but nothing shut her up. She was ranting on about what she had been doing.

"I've been to Spain, Portugal, Norway, Poland, China, Nigeria." she ranted. "Greece, Germany, France. I've been to heaps of places. Well only the places where I can legally get alcohol. Norway, Portugal…"

"You've already said those." Chris smiled.

Mel nodded. "Oh yeah I did." she grinned like a fool. "Well who cares. Did I tell you about Turkey?" Chris shook his head. "I tried Vietnam once but the drink wasn't too good. Thailand is cheap and in United Kingdom some restaurants let me drink. Only some because I'm seventeen. Switzerland is fun…"

_Only tell me where's she's been_

Chris slightly as his sister continued to drone on about different places and their drinks. "Can you make margaritas?" he pushed some hair off her face and laughed.

"Dude, I just drink, I don't shake, stir or any of that crap. I just drink." Mel looked at her brother who was sitting in a chair by her bed. "Am I going to remember talking to you in the morning?" she asked.

"I'd love to say you will but honey your to drunk to remember anything." Chris smiled weakly using a term his Aunt Paige had said thousands of times

Mel nodded. "Good. Because I want you to remember me telling you this but I don't want to remember." she then raised her eyebrow. "I will remember but I won't remember telling you not to remember about remembering…" she waved her hands. "Just listen."

Chris looked slightly confused and extremely worried.

_When she's had too much to drink_

"Chrissie," she rubbed her eye. "I'm pathetic."

"No you aren't." Chris cut in but Mel waved her hands about drunkenly.

"Shush, shush, shush, shush and shush." she exclaimed. "I want to get this out before I pass out." Chris grabbed her hand and stroked it slightly. "I'm pathetic because I'm drowning myself with alcohol. I don't want to except that everyone is dead and that everyone else is under my big brother's reign." she shook her head. "Not you but you know…" her voice went into a whisper. "Wyatt." Chris nodded and Mel's voice got louder again. "I'm going to be a booze bag, or hag, or any other weird addict names, when I'm twenty. I don't want you looking after me. I don't want to be a burden." Mel's eyes became teary. "Just go away or send me away or leave me here and turn and run. Just let me be miserable and fuck off." she let her eyes droop and Chris grab her. "The rest of the world think I'm a loser and I don't want to hang around with you to make you a loser and prove to the rest of the world who I really am." Mel thought about her words and realised didn't make sense but she was to out of it to care. Chris understood what she meant.

"Melinda I told you before. I'll love you no matter what." Chris kissed Melinda's forehead. "You are my sister first not a booze head or whatever else. I will be with you through everything." Chris held onto Melinda until she fell asleep. "I don't care what the rest of the world thinks."

_I say that I don't care _

Chris held her until she fell asleep. He ran his hands through her hair whispering into her ear fairy tales. Telling her it will all be okay and when she wakes up everything will be like it used to be. He felt bad telling the lies to Mel but he knew she wouldn't remember. "One day Mel, we'll save Wyatt together. We'll go back in time and save him from becoming evil. We'll save Mom as well. We'll make sure she doesn't die. I promise Mel I'll make it all better. I will."

Chris kept running his fingers through her hair holding her until he was sure she was asleep.

_I just run my hands through her dark hair_

It was nearing three a.m. and Chris was tired. He fell onto his bed and closed his eyes. Maybe it would be better if he just dropped off the face of the earth. He looked up to the sky in simple prayer. "Lord, just let this be easier for her. Send Mom down maybe to tell her it's okay to move on." he breathed out and shook his head. "I can't take care of her like this." he wiped the tears from his eyes.

He was right. Victor was taking care of them. He bought them the apartment, bought them food, sent them to school. (Well tried to). Chris paid most of the bills and helped out a but…Chris pulled his hand over his face rubbing his temples.

_And then I pray to god you gotta help me fly away_

He looked back up to the sky. "Lord just…" he paused and thought of what to say as he fell into a deep sleep.

Chris woke up the next morning and headed into the kitchen to cook something. He was pouring milk into a bowl of beaten eggs when he heard a sob from Melinda's room. He breathed out deeply.

_And just..._

Chris opened Melinda's door slightly. She was crying. Balling her eyes out. Chris looked at the calendar and realised it was his birthday. Not a day he really wanted to remember seeing as it was the day his mother had died. He immediately knew what Mel was crying about. He went to her bedside and sat down. Chris pulled Melinda into a hug.

"Just cry." he said. Mel was a little shocked. Every time it was the anniversary of someone's death Chris told her to stop crying. This time he changed his record. "Keep crying Mel." he felt his shirt getting soaked.

_Let her cry...if the tears fall down like rain_

Once Mel had calmed down and wished Chris a hasty 'Happy Birthday' Chris went back to his cooking. He was making an omelette. He heard Melinda turn up the radio. She probably didn't notice but she was singing along to all the sad songs.

_Let her sing...if it eases all her pain_

"I'll be back." Mel headed to the door after breakfast. She waited for the usual objection of her brother. He knew she was probably going to a bar depending on the time differences.

"Italy?" he asked as she opened the door.

Mel shook her head. "I was thinking more like Spain."

Chris nodded and went back to packing the table. Mel was a little shocked at her brother but said nothing of it.

_Let her go...let her walk right out on me_

Chris orbed into some alley way in Spain. He went up to a bar and found his little sister sleeping in a booth. He picked her up and paid her bill. The Spanish man behind the counter was about to object when he took her thinking he was just a random man.

"Ésta es mi hermana." he said in Spanish. It meant 'This is my sister'. He rested her feet on the ground holding Mel up with one arm and produced a photo of them together from his wallet. The man nodded and Chris walked out of the bar and into an alley. He then orbed home. He placed her in her bed and looked to the sky.

_And if the sun comes up tomorrow_

He imagined Melinda peaceful and not abusing herself. He let her off today to let out all the steam she had left. He already bought the drugs that would get her off from alcohol and he placed them in his top draw. She was going to have a good life even if it killed him.

_Let her be...let her be._

Chris woke up the next morning and had an odd feeling in his stomach. It felt like loneliness. He went into Melinda's room and found her bed perfectly made. Mel never woke up early. He tore open her closet and found most of her clothes were gone. "Mel?" he shouted. No one answered. "Melinda? Are you here?" he screamed a little louder but he didn't get a reply. He tore through the house looking in the living room, the kitchen, the bathroom, even his own room but there was no sign of his little sister.

_This morning I woke up alone_

Chris stood in the living room looking around. Everywhere suddenly felt small. Maybe she was just going to some country to have a beer. But why would she take half her closet to have a beer? He spun around again and fell to his knees. "Mel please tell me this is a joke." He pulled his legs up and hung his head between his knees trying to think. Chris lifted his head to look around the room once more and saw an envelope sitting next to the phone.

_Found a note by the phone_

Chris ripped the envelope hastily and swallowed and looked at it carefully. It was the familiar scratchy writing of Melinda.

_**Dear Chris,**_

_**You said no matter what you'd love me right? Well I hope you still love me after this. I'm going. I don't know how long for and I don't know why. I just need to go. Maybe I'll be back someday, maybe our paths will cross, but I need to get away from Melinda Halliwell for a while and just be Melinda.**_

_**I love you forever and thank you for everything you've done. It was cruel of me to do that to you. Make you sit by and watch your little sister drink herself to death. You tried to stop me but I refused to. You will always be my big brother and hero.**_

_**Love you forever and ever,**_

_**Mel**_

_Saying maybe, maybe I'll be back some day_

Chris fell back onto his couch. He was in shock. He had no idea what to do. He closed his green eyes for a moment and tried with all his might to sense Melinda. Nope she had blocked him. He pulled out some scrying material and tried to look for her. Yep, she blocked him again.

"MEL!" he shouted. "MEL COME BACK HERE NOW!" Chris closed his eyes as he realised he failed.

He fell back onto the couch. He picked up the phone and dialled his grandfather's number.

"Hello?" a voice asked.

Chris was silent. He knew all his grandfather could hear was his ragged breathing.

"Hello?" Victor asked again. "Who's there?"

"Grandpa she left." Chris whispered into the phone.

_I wanted to look for you_

Chris sat on his couch for the next two days flicking through channels. He was a mindless drone. On the eve of the third day he got up and took a shower and then went back to his couch. He heard the door unlock on the fourth day and looked up and saw Mel standing there with her luggage bags next to her and a scarf wrapped tightly around her neck the ends dangling by her side. Her gloves were worn and she looked like a gypsy with her extensive jewellery and tattered clothes.

"Hi." she whispered.

"Hi." Chris answered back.

"I got cold." Mel muttered.

Chris just nodded. "Your bed's still in there."

"Thanks." Mel headed to her room and Chris grabbed her bags. She turned around at the last minute and frowned. "I could live without you. I didn't realise how much I actually depend on you."

"Did you miss me?" Chris asked.

A tear made its way down Mel's face. "More than anything."

_You walked in I didn't know just what I should do_

Chris sat back down on the couch nursing a beer. He turned on the TV and heard Melinda unpacking her bags. He nodded and continued watching whatever was on the box.

_So I sat back down and had a beer and felt sorry for myself._

**The next week.**

Mel sat in her room silent tears piling down her face. There was more than one reason why she was crying today. Her tears felt like they couldn't stop. They wouldn't stop. She listened to the message on the answering machine one more time the shook her head before throwing the machine against the wall furiously.

_Let her cry...if the tears fall down like rain_

She hummed a tune to herself as she rocked back and forth in a ball. Her brother hadn't yet returned from work and she was dreading his return. She kept humming praying everything would go away. Praying her mother would walk through the door and the last five years of her life would be erased.

_Let her sing...if it eases all her pain_

Mel stood up from her position and opened the door. On the other side Chris stood keys ready to insert into the lock. "Mel what's…?" he asked. But she run past him before she could hear the question.

"Where are you going?" Chris yelled as Mel ran down the corridor. He never did get an answer.

_Let her go...let her walk right out on me_

Chris waited all night for Mel to return. He had listened to the message on the broken answering machine. Victor Bennet had died, cancer finally winning the long battle. He knew that was why Mel had run off. The first rays of the sun hit Chris' face and the door opened squeaking on its hinges.

_And if the sun comes up tomorrow_

"Sorry." Mel muttered.

"For what?" Chris wrapped his arms around her.

"Why don't you punish me or something? Why do you always make out like I'm the victim when I'm actually the main suspect?" Mel cried.

Chris frowned. "Cause Mel, there is no victim and there is no suspect. There's just a hell of a lot of pain."

_Let her be...let her be._

Chris looked at Melinda's half open door. He headed to the front door of their little apartment. He opened the door and looked back again. He took a step out but collapsed in a heap on the floor.

_Last night I tried to leave_

He just cried and cried and cried. Something he hadn't done in ages. He had tried to leave. Tried to get away from everything the same way Mel had tried but he couldn't do it. Chris never knew he had so many tears. He rocked back and forward trying to make sense of everything.

He was only nineteen but he had more things to deal with than some adults. Since his grandfather died a lot more responsibility had fallen on him. He was looking after a kid, he had to go to work everyday nine to five, he paid the bills, he did all the demon hunting work and he was the leader of a resistance against his own brother. The only two relatives he had left was his Uncle Henry, who was underground until Wyatt stopped the bounty hunt on him and his Aunt Billie, who was with Henry.

Chris continued to cry not noticing someone approach him from behind.

_Cried so much I just could not believe_

Chris felt a touch a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and saw two big brown eyes looking straight into his pale green ones. He was sent into a vision tapping into his power of premonitions.

**A two year old Chris was being carried down a hospital hallway by his Uncle Henry. "Unkey Henwy." Chris said. "Whewe ah we going?"**

**Henry looked down at Chris and smiled. "Remember when Prue and H.B. were born we went to the hospital to see them and Aunt Phoebe and Aunt Paige?" Chris nodded his hat bobbing upside down. "Well your little sister was born today and we are going to see her and your mom."**

**Chris' frown deepened. "Whewe is Wyatt and Dad?"**

**Henry smiled. "They're already with your Mom and your sister."**

**Chris twisted his face. "And An Pheeb and An Gi?" Chris referring to Phoebe and Paige.**

"**And Uncle Coop, Prue and H.B."**

"**Well let's go and see the special baby!" Chris clapped his hands.**

"**We're already here." Henry opened the door and everyone was gathered around Piper who was sitting on the hospital bed with a small bundle in her arms.**

"**Mommy I wanna see the baby." Chris smiled.**

**Piper grinned. "Hey Chris. Come over here and see your little sister." she laughed lightly as Chris was placed on the bed next to her.**

**Chris looked at the baby and she opened her eyes as Chris touched her head. She had brown eyes which were small and beady now that she was a newborn. Piper gasped for she hadn't opened them yet for anyone. "Hello baby." Chris said. "You ah my little sistew."**

"**What's my sistews name Mommy?" Chris smiled. "I tink we should call her Jenna."**

**Piper smiled and looked at the little girl. "Well we were going to call her Melinda but what if her middle name is Jenna?"**

**Chris thought for a moment. "Yeah that's okay. I love Mewinda Jenna." he grinned and all the adults smiled and laughed.**

Chris was pulled out of his vision still looking at Melinda's big brown eyes. He pulled her towards him and wrapped his arms around her. "Chris are you okay? The door is open? Where were you going?"

"Don't worry." he held onto her. Mel nodded and held her brother for a change.

_She was the same girl I fell in love with long ago_

Mel held onto her brother until he pulled away. "I was going to run like you did. I'm sorry Mel. I just can't take it." Chris choked.

"Take what?" Mel asked pushing some hair behind ear.

"Taking care of the house, taking caring of the resistance, making sure you're okay, going to work." Chris rubbed his eyes. "I don't know if I can do it anymore."

Mel bit her lip. "This is because of me isn't it?"

Chris shook his head. "No it isn't."

Mel nodded. "It is. I know it is." Mel stood up and walked to her room orbing out as she was walking.

"Melinda!" Chris shouted. He stood up and orbed out following her orbs. When they landed he recognised his surroundings as a house party. All kinds of beings, magical and non-magical, were dancing to the music and he quickly lost Mel in the crowd. Now that Wyatt had exposed magic no body these magical/non-magical gatherings happened often.

He thought of the most logical place for an alcoholic to go was the bar. He went but couldn't find her. He saw Mel's boyfriend Tye.

"Tye." Chris shouted over the music.

Tye spun around and looked at Chris. "You looking for Mel?" Chris nodded. Tye frowned. "She's off the tracks man. I think she went out the back."

Chris nodded. "I'll talk to you later." Chris went out the back of the house and found his sister drink in one hand cigarette in the other.

Chris pulled the cigarette from his sister hand and grabbed the bottle throwing both to the ground. "What are you doing?" he demanded.

Mel's looked at the cigarette on the floor then at Chris. "Go home. Live your life. I won't get in the way." she tried to walk pass Chris but latched onto her arm.

"I don't want you out of my life." he said.

Mel picked up another bottle and sculled. "Yeah you do."

_She went in the back to get high_

Chris ignored all the party and the worried glances he received from Tye and orbed back home and sat back down on his couch. He couldn't do anything to stop her, not without hurting her which was something Chris never wanted to do. It was a constant loop. A never ending cycle of destruction that he was afraid he couldn't pull Mel out of.

He frowned and looked at his watch. Five a.m. It was the third night in a row he had gone without sleeping.

All of a sudden black orbs swooped into the room. "Hello Chris." Wyatt muttered.

Chris stood up and took stance. "Hello Wyatt. What are you doing here?"

"Did you know our little sister was knocked up?" Wyatt asked frowning.

Chris looked confused for a moment. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Mel is pregnant Chris." Wyatt said. "Did you know?"

"Obviously not." Chris grabbed his jacket of the coat rack about to go out to find Mel.

"I've already dealt with her." Wyatt said menacingly.

Chris paused, mid orb and looked at Wyatt. "How'd you deal with her?"

Wyatt looked away. "In a way you would never see fit."

As if on cue Chris heard a jingle in his head begging for him. Chris' eyes popped open with alarm as he orbed away.

_I sat down on my couch and cried_

He ended up in the Conservatory of the Manor. The place he used to call home. Mel was lying in the middle of it bleeding from an open wound in her stomach. "Chris…" she moaned in pain.

Chris ran over to his little sister and pulled her up so her head was on his lap. "Shit!" Chris said running a hand threw his hair. "Mel?"

Mel looked up. "Sorry…should've told you I was pregnant…"

Chris shook his head. "Don't worry Melly, it'll all be alright."

"Melly." Mel muttered. "No one called me that since I was fourteen."

Chris rubbed Mel's hand. "Well I'll call you it a lot more."

"Chris I'm dying." Mel said. "Just wake up to it…"

Chris shook his head furiously. "You're not dying. You can't die. You're the only reason why I make it through the day." he choked tears spilling from his eyes.

"Save Wyatt." Mel whispered.

"We will together." Chris promised.

"Yeah we will Chris." Mel smiled. "But not this me…another me. Okay?"

"What do you mean…?"

"I've already helped you." Mel said. "I can't tell you anymore. I'll see you in the past."

Chris nodded. He looked up to the sky. "Dad?" he shouted. "DAD! I need your help!"

"Shush." Mel whimpered. "Don't worry…supposed to happen…all supposed to happen."

"Mom!" Chris looked to the heavens. "Mom I know you're watching! Call Dad. Save your daughter. I'm not ready to lose her too."

_Yelling oh mama please help me won't you hold my hand._

Chris spent a looked down at his sister.

_And_

A single tear fell from Mel's eyes. "My only regret is not having my baby." she whispered. "I knew as soon as I fell pregnant I was going to die…"

_Let her cry...if the tears fall down like rain_

"Mel you aren't going to die." Chris said. "You can't." he cried. "I need you. More than you could imagine."

Mel smiled. "And so we've come…" she started singing. "To the end of the road…"

Chris pressed his head on Melinda's. "Please don't…"

"Still I can't let go…" Mel looked sadly at Chris her eyes flittered back for a moment.

_Let her sing...if it eases all her pain_

Her breathing became still and unsettling. Chris saw her brown eyes become lifeless and still. He breathed in as if sucking in her last breath. "Goodbye Mel." he whispered kissing her forehead lightly.

_Let her go...let her walk right out on me_

Chris held onto Melinda's lifeless body as he felt warm light hit his face. He looked up to the windows of the conservatory and watched the sun seep through the untamed trees of the courtyard.

_And if the sun comes up tomorrow_

A golden glow appeared and Mel's soul appeared in front of Chris. She smiled and looked to the ceiling.

_Let her be...let her be._

**Epilogue **

Chris looked at the triquetra Bianca had drawn upon the dusty attic wall. "Hear these words, hear the rhyme, heed the hope within my mind, send me back to where I'll find, what I wish in place and time." Chris' eyes darted up to the newly opened portal and then to Bianca. He smiled and walked towards it. Just as he was about to step in a demon shimmered behind his fiancé. "Bianca!"

Bianca was fast as she fought the demon off. Holding him in an agonisingly painful position (for the demon that is) she looked at Chris. "Go!" she shouted at him. "Go!" Chris took one last painful look at his Bianca. He was going to forget about the mission and help her but someone else in his life pulled him back.

"_Bianca will be okay, Chrissie. I'll help her. Go back in time. Save our brother. I promise I'll meet you there!"_ Chris looked back at the portal and walked through.


End file.
